French President Macron in China

Visit of Macron in China : Despite their amicable tone, the visit produced no breakthroughs on Europe’s mounting frustration over China’s market barriers and complaints its exports of low-cost steel are threatening European jobs. (NewYork Times)

The French leader hoped to secure business deals that might advance European demands for reciprocity, or gaining the same access to China’s state-dominated economy that its companies have abroad.

A delegation of French business leaders traveling with Macron signed cooperation agreements with Chinese partners, many of them government-owned, in energy, telecoms, aerospace and other fields. But there was no immediate indication any represented a Chinese opening of a field previously off-limits to foreign companies. The visit of Macron in China ends on January 10th.